act 117: “every child a learner”

Act 117: “Every Child A

Learner”

Presented by:

Vermont Department of Education

Vermont School Boards Association

Workshop Goals

Review goals and activities of Act 117

Define school board’s role in overseeing the creation and monitoring of an effective education support system for all learners

What Is Act 117?

Passed in the spring of 2000

Strengthen capacity of education system to meet the educational needs of all Vermont students

Act 117 Goals

Increase capacity of general education

Improve consistency of implementation of special education

Promote cost containment and effectiveness

2002 Report to Legislature

Status report on early outcomes and activities to implement Act 117

www.state.vt.us/educ/

History of ESS

1990 Act 230

1996 Act 157

1997 Act 60

2000 Act 117

Increased Flexibility in Use of Special Education

Students with IEPs only

Core Staff IEPs Section 504 Accommodation

Plans EST Plans

Students without any plans under certain conditions

jkljlk

Why Students Aren’t Succeeding

Think tank approach

What can we do about it

Do we have data to support?

Why Students Aren’t Succeeding

What does Child Count data tell us?

Incidence rate Most common disability

categories Age/grade when identified Gender differences Profile or evaluations

One School’s Story

Obstacles to student success

We can change this

We might be able to change this

We probably cannot change this

One School’s Story

Contributors to student success

Characteristic causes student success

Characteristic is teachable

Characteristic can be developed or compensated for

One School’s Story

Critical next steps What we can and can’t control

Prioritize student needs

What currently exists to meet the needs

Is it working

One School’s Story

Critical next steps

Identify matches and gaps

Prioritize unmet needs

Put into Action Plan

Keys to Ed. Support SystemComprehensive system

School board policy

Clear system for discipline

Supports students to meet standards

Ongoing assessment and evaluation

Keys to Ed. Support System

Training to increase general education capacity

Collaboration with community

Described annually to parents

Includes Educational Support Team

Keys to the Ed. Support Team

Meets regularly

Members from variety of positions

Method to refer to team

Keeps a record of actions

Develops individual plans

Keys to the Ed. Support Team

Assures follow-up

Provides for transitions

Reviews, revises, ends plan

Keys to the Ed. Support Team

Timely referral to special education

Looks for patterns

Informs Action Plan

Information to ESS

jkljlk

Keys to Ed. Support Team Plan

Clarifies who/what/when/how

Includes follow-up on effectiveness

Provides for transitions

Keys to Ed. Support Team Plan

Reviewed, revised, or ended

Shared with parents and appropriate staff

Part of student file/record

Guiding Principle

What would you want to have

happen if this were your

child?

Role of the School BoardWork with administrators to define goals for educational support systems

Establish accountability systems

Direct creation of time lines

Monitor progress through benchmarks

Role of the School Board

Understand and use student data

Receive periodic Action Plan reports

Recognize and support staff efforts to improve student achievement and success

Role of the School Board

Ask right questions – provide informed oversight

Direct reallocation of funds when data supports it

Look for ESS funds from Medicaid IEP, EPSDT, Act 60 Poverty, Title I, BEST, others

Role of the School Board

Support efforts by allowing and encouraging reallocation of funds to programs that match needs, priorities, and that are effective

Adopt key policies (ESS, professional development, assessment, action plan, evaluation, curriculum….)

Act 117 Resources & Power Point Slides

www.vtvsba.org